_David prayeth that his suit may be acceptable, his conscience
sincere, and his life safe from snares._
A Psalm of David.
LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice,
when I cry unto thee.
Let my prayer be set forth before thee _as_ incense; _and_ the lifting
up of my hands _as_ the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Incline not my heart to _any_ evil thing, to practise wicked works
with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
Let the righteous smite me; _it shall be_ a kindness: and let him
reprove me; _it shall be_ an excellent oil, _which_ shall not break my
head: for yet my prayer also _shall be_ in their calamities.
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my
words; for they are sweet.
Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and
cleaveth _wood_ upon the earth.
But mine eyes _are_ unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust;
leave not my soul destitute.
Keep me from the snares _which_ they have laid for me, and the gins of
the workers of iniquity.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.
This Psalm also is a fervent prayer, wherein the Psalmist prays to be
delivered from wicked teachers, who pretend to speak of peace, and
craftily use soft and flattering words, after they have found that
they can prevail nothing by terrors and threats. “Let the righteous,”
saith he, “smite me:” that is, I had rather that true and faithful
teachers should rebuke and condemn me, and reprove my ways, than that
hypocrites should flatter me and applaud me as a saint.
And farther, (saith the Psalmist) although I suffer affliction for the
sake of that true and sound doctrine to which I cleave, and though, by
afflictions returning again and again, my bones be broken in pieces
and scattered like clods of earth before the penetrating and dividing
plough; yet I had rather be reproved and smitten by godly and true
teachers, and so acknowledge my sin, and rest upon the promise of God,
than hear all the flattering words of those hypocrites who deceive
themselves and others; and who pretend to have peace with God, when
there is no such peace unto them. For all such teachers and their
hypocrisies shall be hurled, as it were, from a mighty precipice, and
they shall suddenly be dashed to pieces and shall perish together;
their glory shall be hurried into confusion, and their end shall be
utter destruction; and then it shall appear how bitter their pleasing
doctrine is.